The Argosy — page 162: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

148 In a West India Hurricane. ee it rustled softly among the trees and shrubs, wafting hither and thither the perfume of the orange, the lime, the jasmine, and a thousand other sweet-smelling plants. A low musical hum rose from the grass, while from the groves beyond, mocking birds, in nch gushes, poured forth a chorus of sweet sounds. These were occasionally diversified by the sonorous croakings of the tree-toads and the sharp chirping hiss of the cicada ; while the whole was accompanied by a singularly mournful ca- dence from the shore, which rose and fell as the surf, which, spite of the calmness of the sea, rolled in long white billows, and broke upon the sandy beach. A night so lovely, the full beauty of which no words can represent, can only be seen in the tropics ; and the music was worthy of the night. ‘‘There was something in this soft moonlit scene, where all was so bright and tranquil, which was to me peculiarly solemn. It seemed to lift me above the grosser passions of my nature, and filled my heart with a sort of religious awe. I felt, as it were, that the Almighty was nearer to me than He had ever been; that I could actually feel His presence ; and as I lifted up my heart in thankful praise, 1t seemed as though an angel was playing upon the tenderest and most reverential chords of my heart, and that the words I breathed were the notes which came at his touch. ‘‘We all retired to our apartments about half-past eleven o’clock ; and as I had had a rather fatiguing day, I fell asleep at once. About two I was awakened by a tremendous down-pour of rain, which soon found its way through the roof. I did not pay much attention to the drip, drip, drips I could hear in different parts of the room, but when a great splash descended nght upon my nose, I thought it was time to tum out and see how the land lay. I accordingly rose and got a light, and on look- ing round for a dry place for my bedstead, I found my room was in a perfect flood. ‘Not knowing what better to do, I first fished up my clothes, and then called Mr. Walkingshaw : and he at once roused up the house negroes, who brought pots and pans to catch the intrusive rain. How- ever, in an hour or So, it was all over, and the moon shone out as bright as ever. “The following morning, when I rose, the sky was without a cloud. Never was a landscape viewed under a more lovely aspect. The rain of the past night had imparted a more than usual brightness to the verdure, whilst a brilliant sun spread a glow of splendour over both sea and land. ‘‘ Never was sea, with its glancing specks of white, more beautiful or more intensely blue ; never was the heaven above of a brighter azure ; and never before had I seen the distant hills or the waving cocoa-nut trees so clearly and sharply defined against the sky! It was a morning and a scene never to be surpassed, and scarcely to be equalled. cCOMnncaooks GO)